


Come to the Dark Side, We Have Magic

by BarbaraKaterina



Series: At The Rope's End [4]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Just a little conversation between colleagues, Or if not forbidden then at least highly cautioned against, also the lure of forbidden knowledge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 06:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15237291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbaraKaterina/pseuds/BarbaraKaterina
Summary: Stephen got an offer he couldn't quite make himself refuse, as much as he probably should. But he was never one to care about morality overmuch when knowledge and science were at stake.Part of the End of a Rope universe, but can be read alone. It's basically the aftermath of a fix-it for Loki and Stephen's meeting.





	Come to the Dark Side, We Have Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after chapter 17 of At The End Of A Rope.

When Stephen arrived back to the New York sanctum, he had to take a bit of a breather.

So. Loki, as in, the Loki who was behind the first alien invasion Earth had ever experienced...was now apparently on Earth again, with the knowledge of the Sokovian Accords Council, and also dating one of the Avengers.

In fact, more like The Avenger, given how the situation stood right now.

It was also the Loki who was, to his knowledge, one of the most dangerous sorcerers in existence.

And still also the same Loki who offered him guidance in dealing with exactly those aspects of the mystical arts that he always found most frustrating.

Apparently it wasn’t inherent nature of the arts, it was simply the way they were taught in the order.

If, of course, Loki was to be trusted.

Which was one big if.

It was none of Stephen’s business, really – it wasn’t like his own work didn’t give him enough to worry about – but he still had to wonder what happened that allowed Stark, and the entire Council, to trust the Asgardian after such an extreme first encounter. There must be some interesting material in those classified files.

And perhaps if he knew, too, it would be easier for him to decide what his own stance should be, apart from strengthening the sanctum’s defences just in case.

And also trying not to think about how long the sorcerer had been on Earth without his knowledge and could have probably entered the sanctum with no trouble at all.

All of these considerations were just making him feel tired and out of his depth, so he did what he went to see Wong, who could at least help him with the second.

“So, hypothetically,” he said when Wong made room for him by moving some books off a chair, “if I had a sorcerer of solid power but less solid moral compass offer to teach me everything I ever wanted to know about the mystic arts...what should my answer be?”

Wong seemed almost offended. “My library not good enough for you?” He asked.

Stephen sighed. “That’s part of the problem. He claims our books are outdated, or some of them are at least, and that I shouldn’t waste my time reading junk.”

Wong shrugged. “Well, he’s right.”

Stephen stared at him. “What? And you couldn't have told me this sooner? For example, and I’m really just giving a random one here, you understand, before I spent weeks studying them?” If Wong was about to tell him it would teach him not to cling too much to the fruits of his labour or something along those lines, he was going to scream. 

utw Wong merely shrugged again. “It’s not like you asked. You seemed determined to read every single book in the library without consulting anyone on what was recommended or appropriate for your level.”

Stephen bit back his retort, because, well, Wong wasn’t wrong. Stephen had been esperarte to catch up, to feel a bit less like an idiot. He should have realized his approach was not one most conclusive to gaining actually useful knowledge.

“Besides,” Wong continued, “none of the books we have are entirely useless. You weren’t wasting your time completely.” He gave Stephen a condescending look, one that the doctor had to fight being irritated by. “I know you did really well against Dormamu, but you still have a lot to learn. All in all, I thought this would be a good lesson.”

And here it was. Stephen fought his first instinctive reaction. Wong was right in some ways at least, after all. But God, how he hated this at times. Going from being the very best in his field to...this.

“All right,” he said when he felt he had the frustration more under control, “but...I’m the one signed up to work with the Accords and the Avengers, and apparently, these days that means I’m the one working with a powerful magic-user who is not a member of our order.”

Wong looked interested now. “They finally got one to actually join, did they? Are your services going to be necessary, then?”

Stephen tried to mask his grimace at the idea of Loki becoming part of the group responsible for defending Earth. “He hasn’t exactly joined,” he said. “From what I can gather, he is more on a consulting basis. But nevertheless, he was very unimpressed with some of the things I told him.”

Wong frowned. “He knows you're new at this, right?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe if you sent him to me-”

“He keeps his involvement secret, I don't think he’d be too thrilled to include more people,” Stephen said quickly. He was astonished to realize he didn’t want to share Loki’s expertise, dubious as the Asgardian might be as a source of information. Wong was right, he was new at this, and everyone else in the Order knew more than him. This was his chance to get some information the others didn’t have, for a change. Of course he would pass them on later, but...it would be nice to once more be the one who actually dispensed knowledge.

Wong reluctantly nodded. “All right,” he said, “so we will just have to do it through you. So what exactly did he say?”

Stephen sat back in his chair and, careful to mask his satisfaction, said casually: “I think he was mostly frustrated with how apart from scientific thinking we hold our mystical knowledge.”

Wong suddenly straightened, and his eyes gleamed. “He was, was he?”

“Yes. He said we were never going to get anywhere unless we integrated both.”

“Finally!” Wong said, almost explosively.

Stephen blinked at him for a moment, completely thrown off his smugness at being right. “Wait, what?”

“I’ve been saying that for ages!” Wong said. “I mean, I don't really understand science, but the things we do and the things modern science does, there has to be some overlap, there simply has to be. But the Ancient One wouldn’t hear of it, said we had to focus on our mystical arts and not distract ourselves with lesser learning…” He shook his head. “What a pile of rubbish.”

Stephen blinked some more. “Well,” he said then, after a moment of consideration, “she _was_ seven hundred years old. If the last time she checked in with science was the fourteenth century, I think I understand why she wouldn’t think very highly of it.”

There was silence as they both considered this. “So,” Stephen said then, “I should listen to this guy, then, according to you?”

Wong hesitated. His greed for the potential of new knowledge was clearly warring with caution. “You said his moral compass was somewhat dubious?”

“Somewhat,” Stephen confirmed. _What an understatement._

“Then…” Wong very nearly bit his lip, which made Stephen staré a little in astonishment. He didn’t think Wong had been this thrown off his placid calm when Dormamu was attacking. “I’d be really careful about actually doing anything he tells you to do,” the man said at length, “and maybe run the theory by me, but...I really don't think you're the type to get turned over to the dark side by a few well-chosen words, so...there is no harm in listening, is there?”

No, Stephen supposed there was not. 

He tried to ignore how biased both of their reasoning was.

It was probably time to pay the Avengers another visit.

“...you really sure he wouldn’t talk to me?” Wong asked, and there was a clear look of longing on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> tl;Dr for this story:  
> \- Wong, can we modernize?  
> \- Oh thank gods.


End file.
